"The right to bear arms is because that's the last form of defense against tyranny. Not to hunt. It's to protect yourself from the police."

Problem is: no American is ever going to win a fire fight with the police.

There was a story here about 50 miles from me 2 or 3 years ago, where the police went to arrest a man for domestic abuse, and they decided the gun
range was a good place to pick him up. The waited for him to walk out to his car, they tazed him, he dropped to one knee, drew his gun, and fired
killing both officers that already had weapons drawn, and already had tazed him. He then proceeded into his truck, ended up in a high speed chase,
where he rolled the truck, kicked out the back window, and had a firefight with the police injuring several before they finally killed him.

He didn't "win," because he was dead in the end, but he was one man versus an entire force, and he held his own.

He was a bad guy, not a good one, and I'm not trying to make him out as a hero, but if the US population ever decided to actually stand up for
itself, it would be an effortless victory.

I am not saying anything is your fault, just that this argument is dumb. Your government/s in cohorts with the banks and major corporations are
completely out of control, yet i see no large scale gun turning on them. In light of this my question is why is this stated as a reason/excuse to bear
arms apart from the constitution blah blah?

Many of these same corporations make the guns and ammunition that are being used to kill citizens in the US. You are being manipulated.

If it were legal then I bet the guns would be turned on the corrupt bankers. But it's not. THe second amendment does allow me to defend your self
from the military and police if they get out of control. Too bad it doesn't extend to protecting s from bankers (ie enemies within)

Sorry if I seemed defensive. As a gun owner I've been getting flak from all sorts guess I was just a bit touchy. Everyone is coming to me saying
because I own a gun or two I'm part of the problem and not the solution to these gun rampages. I don't see how I'm involved or contribute one way
or the other with these gun rampages.

My friend works a t a gun shop. One could argue that he's a part of the problem but in reality he isn't he turns people away all the time if they
say, act or do anything that brings up a red flag. He even calls other gun dealers in the area and warns them that a wackadoodle may be coming to
their store next. He tries to screen the psychos. But he's limited in what he can actually do other than refuse to sell. Some psychos are just
very good at acting normal and decent until it's too late. WIth them pre screening is almost futile.

It may be a good idea to listen to his works imo it was necessary at the time to help a part of society over come a specific form of tyranny and it
shows his intelligence that he now speaks of the 2nd amendment not as a black man but as an american.

What do you expect us to do? Go kill Fed chairman and CEOs? Last time I checked that would just be terrorism.

Exactly. Stop using the argument , that gun ownership is to prevent tyranny, as it isn't, this is self evident. Whether these theoretical actions
should classed as terrorism is another matter all together.

The legal and illegal guns that permeate US society give people a sense of power and control over their lives in an otherwise uncontrollable society,
where employment chances are minimal for even those with university degrees.

Gun ownership sells the lie that the US is this "Land of the Free". It is used by those on the right to illuminate the free choice that Americans
have as citizens which can never and should never be taken away, when in reality there is little freedom. Little economic or societal freedom.

I'm not just spouting off on one from my armchair here in the U.K. I have been to the US six times and seen and heard this from American citizens.
One chap, Eric, was living in a mobile home, as the bank had taken his house. He had a truck full of guns though, which gave him a sense of
empowerment, which in reality didn't exist.

I think it's safe to say we in the UK, don't really get America's obsession with guns. It's a quite a big social and cultural difference, based on
our divergent histories. I actually think it is quite an important right. The ability to defend yourself and your property and have considered myself
that in a SHTF scenario, having a gun would be a great tool.

I think it's the gun in one hand, bottle in another, cowboy attitude that many Americans seem to have towards their guns that perplexes so many
British people. Especially after hearing about the gun massacres and the rush to buy more guns in the aftermath. It's just not a logic, most British
people are familiar with.

I mean countries like Switzerland have an armed population, but don't have the same reputation as Americans with firearms.

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